Stopping metal thieves

Wellesley Deputy Police Chief Bill Brooks is among those pushing for legislation that will make it harder for crooks to steal metal from cars, buildings and elsewhere and then pawn it off. From the Daily News Transcript:

Wellesley Deputy Police Chief William Brooks, a former Norwood police officer, has worked with lawmakers on the legislation for the past two years and is anxious to see it pass before the Legislature closes formal sessions on July 31.

“I wish it was moving more quickly, it seems like a fairly simple thing,” he said. “I don’t think it would cost the state anything (to set up a database), because you could either put a surcharge on (pawn shop) transactions or you could use a percentage of transactions (to pay for the database).”